The Challenges and Supports for Career Development of Persons
with Disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Iftita Rahmi
1
and Runi Rulanggi
2
1
Department of Accounting, Politeknik Negeri Jakarta, Depok, Indonesia
2
Department of Psychology, Universitas Pembangunan Jaya, Tangerang, Indonesia
Keywords: Challenges, Support, Career Development, Persons with Disabilities, Pandemic COVID-19.
Abstract: Persons with Disabilities (PwD) are one of the groups most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The
implementation of social and physical distancing made workers with disabilities have to face many challenges
at work. This affects the career development of PwD. This study used a case study method to identify various
challenges and support needed in the career development of PwD during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants were obtained by purposive sampling method. Data collection was done by semi-structured
interviews. Data analysis was carried out with a 2-step coding process. The results of this study showed the
challenges for career development of PwD were their personal characteristics (e.g., type and severity of their
disability), disempowering family, limited access to education and vocational training, insufficient health care
and facilities, discrimination, and negative stigma at the workplace. The support needed for career
development of PwD were opportunities to access higher education and vocational training, supportive
family, co-workers, and workplace environment. The results of this study offer an evaluation to stakeholders
thus that they can provide adequate accessibility for PwD at work.
1 INTRODUCTION
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) are one of the groups
that have received inadequate accessibility in the
workplace sector. This phenomenon showed the need
to put more effort and attention from various parties
to fulfil PwD rights. Work participation, regulations
from stakeholders, social stigma, and career
development are issues facing PwD in the workplace
(Eltringham, 2016). According to World Health
Organization (WHO, 2021) provision, disability is
the inability to carry out activities at the level of
regular human activity due to impairment conditions.
As a result of damage to some or all a certain body
member, it causes a person to become powerless to
carry out normal human activities, such as bathing,
eating, drinking, climbing stairs, or going to the toilet
alone without being assisted by others.
In Indonesia, PwD are explained in Law No.8
(2016). PwD are individuals who experience
physical, intellectual, mental, and sensory limitations
for a long period and, when engaging in interaction
with others can experience obstacles and difficulty to
participate fully and effectively. As a result, the
disability can cause limited participation in society.
This condition is caused by inability, loss, or
abnormalities both from psychological,
physiological, and anatomical structure or function
(BPS-RI, 2020).
Several data related to PwD in the workplace have
been published by the stakeholders. According to
Statistics – Indonesia (2020), The Labour Force
Participation Rate (LFPR) for PwD is far below non-
PwD with a discrepancy between 20,60-24,11%.
LFPR of the PwD with productive age in Indonesia
tended to decrease approximately 2% from 2016 to
2019. In 2019, only 46% of PwD worked in various
sectors. It means more than half of PwD were
unemployed. Reduced participation of PwD in the
workplace indicated a struggle for PwD in entering
the labour market because of the lack of availability
of decent jobs. The ratio of males and females who
are in the labour force is 2:1. PwD was found more
often in rural areas rather than in urban areas. Mostly,
PwD worked in the agriculture, forestry, and fishery
sector (44,82%). Then in the trade, transportation,
accommodation, food and drinks, and services sector
(38,09%) and the others worked at mining, industry,
electricity, gas, water, management garbage, and
construction sector (17,09%) (BPS-RI, 2020).
Rahmi, I. and Rulanggi, R.
The Challenges and Supports for Career Development of Persons with Disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
DOI: 10.5220/0010803400003348
In Proceedings of the 3rd Annual International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (AICOSH 2021), pages 25-33
ISBN: 978-989-758-603-3; ISSN: 2685-273X
Copyright
c
 2022 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
25

Data from previous studies found that PwD tended
to work in lower status occupations like services,
clerical, or other helping occupations, underpaid,
work part-time, and have limited career advancement
opportunities (Baldridge et al., 2016; Lindstrom &
Benz, 2002). All these phenomena have an impact on
the career development of persons with disabilities.
This article addresses the career development of
PwD in unstable economic times of the COVID-19
pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic has a greater
negative impact on socially disadvantaged people like
PwD (Efrat et al., 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic
had triggered a significant crisis in the economy and
labour markets around the world. Lockdowns and
quarantines leave employees in various sectors
vulnerable to massive layoffs, pay cuts, and indefinite
leave (Mimoun et al., 2020). During this crisis, PwD
are more likely to experience involuntary
unemployment and struggle to find a new job (Mitra
& Kruse, 2016). A previous study by Chandrasekaran
and Fernandes (2021) also found that the incidence
rate among PwD were greater, particularly for Asian
people. This sociodemographic pattern was more
likely to find countries with higher COVID-19
incidence rates compared to other countries.
Career development is a concept that refers to a
process in which individual and other contextual
factors influence change in people’s careers over time
(Brown, 2002; Zacher et al., 2019). The research on
career development focuses on how an individual's
attitude and behavior toward career and how social
and environmental factors shape that attitude and
behavior. Individual characteristics, family
background, and workplace environment place an
important role in the career development of PwD,
particularly in shaping their career decision-making.
Individual characteristics such as type and severity of
the disability, gender, ethnicity, and educational level
play a crucial role in the career opportunity of PwD
(Michaels, 1997; Raudeliūnaitė & Gudzinskiene,
2016). Unfortunately, PwD have limited access to
higher education. There are still a few PwD who have
a minimum senior high school graduate/equivalent.
The 2019 surveys recorded that only 1 in 10 persons
with disabilities aged 15 years and above have a
minimum senior high school graduate/equivalent in
Indonesia (BPS-RI, 2020). Lindstrom and Benz
(2002) also noted that individual characteristics like
individual determination and motivation also
influence the vocational success of PwD.
Family structure (e.g. the role of parents and
family) was related to the career development of PwD.
Family helped PwD shaping their occupational
aspirations and supporting the process of their career
development. During the career decision-making
process, positive family support encouraged PwD to
have a settled career choice (Lindstrom & Benz,
2002). Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence
the career development of PwD as Raudeliūnaitė and
Gudžinskienė (2016) revealed, the personal and
objective environmental factors related to the
professional career of PwD. PwD usually received
negative stigma from society about their appearance.
This is caused by local culture and the "normality"
concept (Widinarsih, 2019). This discrimination can
be seen in the workplace. (CNN Indonesia, 2020)
reported that PwD in Indonesia are still trying to get
equal employment opportunities. Lysaght (2012)
found that co-workers tend to give more support to
PwD who have fewer limitations in work roles. This
discrimination leads to PwD’s difficulty to adapt to the
workplace.
2 RESEARCH QUESTION
The purpose of this research was to examine:
1. How do PwD face challenges in career
development during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
2. How do the factors (internal and external)
influence the career development of PwD?
3. What support is needed for the PwD to face
the challenges during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
3 METHODS
A case study is used to examine the career
development of Persons with Disabilities because it is
a unique research approach that focuses on studying
complex phenomena within a real-life context.
3.1 Sample
The sample for this study was four PwD and one
labour supplier for PwD. Demographic and
employment characteristics for all participants are
presented in Table 1. This study used purposive
sampling methods to select participants. Participants
were selected by a labour supplier and a psychologist
who works with them and specifically selected to
meet specific purposive sampling criteria, including
that they (a) are people with disabilities (sensory,
physically, intellectually, or mentally) with a
minimum age of 18 years old, (b) have/had been
working in all employment status, and (c) willing to
take part in this research.
AICOSH 2021 - The Annual International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (AICOSH) “Life After Pandemic: Perspectives,
Changes, and Challenges”
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Table 1: List of participants.
No Initials Age Type of Disability Education Employment status
1 AM 24 Physical Disabilities Bachelor Degree Contract Employee
2 VN 25 Physical Disabilities Bachelor Degree Contract Employee
3 TM 40 Sensory Disabilities Bachelor Degree Self-employment
4 FJ 24 Sensory Disabilities Senior High School Self-employment
5 SR 31 Non-PwD Bachelor Degree Labour Supplier for PwD
3.2 Data Collection and Analysis
The methods of data collection used in this study were
in-depth, open-ended interviews with the participants
and key informants, for example, their labour
supplier. Data collection was held via online
applications, for example, google meet, WhatsApp
call and voice notes. Each interview lasted 1 to 2
hours and included questions about individual
characteristics, career aspirations and goals, support
from family and friends, and covid-19 impact on their
work and life.
The data from the interview transcripts were
analyzed following a 2-step coding process beginning
with the basic coding, which is to develop an initial
set of descriptive codes based on relevant literature,
our research questions, and the initial interview
questions. Then a more in-depth, interpretive code is
followed by comparing all cases to find more specific
trends and patterns.
4 RESULT
Case Study 1: AMN is a 24-year-old man working as
a call center officer at e-commerce. He lives in
Semarang. He has a physical disability. He used
seeker for his daily activities. He graduated from a
public university in Yogyakarta with a major in law.
He wanted to be a pilot when he was a kid, but he
gave up his dream because of his limitations. When
he grows up, he wants to be a civil servant. He chose
his current job because this vacancy was available to
PwD. He has a comfortable working environment.
His co-workers were friendly, and the company
provided accessibility for PwD, such as toilets and
stairs (for wheelchair users). Meanwhile, he still
wants to find another job that matches his interests.
He also thinks that his current workplace does not
provide an opportunity to have career advancement.
“My current workplace is not entirely suitable
with me. I still want to find a higher position, for
example as head of division. In my current
workplace, judging by the environment, my
friends, my supervisor has been supportive, so I
am quite comfortable here. However, I don’t want
to do this job forever. I want to find a more
comfortable position (higher position). I still have
a desire to become a civil servant, as my parents
expected.”
He has worked at the company since March 2021.
His parents supported him to work at the company.
During COVID-19 outbreaks, he works alternately
from home and the office.
Case Study 2: VN is a 25-year-old female
working as a quality control officer at a multinational
company at Cikarang. She was normal before, but
because of the accident she got in 2008, she had a
physical disability. As a result, she used prosthetic
legs for her daily activities. She graduated from a
public university at Semarang with a major in history.
She has worked in her current company because this
position was available for her condition regardless of
her educational background.
“I chose this job even though it didn't suit my
interests, because only this job vacancy was
available for me.”
She has worked at the company since October
2020. Her parents supported her to work at the
company. She works from the office regularly, and
somehow, she got the night shift. By April 2021, she
was infected from COVID-19, but now she
recovered. Her co-workers were friendly, but the
company did not provide accessibility for PWD at the
office. Her career aspirations were to be an
entrepreneur and an office worker. She is still looking
for opportunities to work in her hometown, Cirebon.
Case Study 3: TM. TM is a 40-year-old man who
is self-employed at his own home. He was diagnosed
with partial blind (low vision) when he was three
years old and gradually became totally blind at 36-
years-old. He manages a massage therapy business in
his home. In addition, he also manages a non-profit
organization named Banten Creative Disability for
PwD in his district. He graduated from a public
university in West Java Province with a major in
The Challenges and Supports for Career Development of Persons with Disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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public administration. Since childhood, he has always
attended a regular school rather than an exclusive
school for people with disabilities. During his career
development processes, his family gave him full
support. His parents never discriminated against his
siblings. People in his neighborhood and community
also consider him the same as other children. He
claims that he receives much help from his family and
the surrounding community.
He previously worked in several companies
before opening his therapy business. After graduating
with his bachelor’s degree, he was employed in an
insurance company as a sales officer for three years.
Afterwards, he was employed in an entertainment
venue as a supervisor in a billiards playground for two
years. Moreover, subsequently, he became staff at a
secretariat party in his district while helping his
family business in a poultry slaughterhouse for about
six years. He then received and followed massage
training for the blind from the Ministry of Social
Affairs for two years and opened his massage
business after graduating from the training in 2019.
During COVID-19 Pandemic, he claimed that his
business experienced a tremendous impact. However,
there was a decline in income due to regulations for
social and physical distancing. Before COVID-19
Pandemic, there were more than 60 clients per month,
but now it hardly reaches 60 clients per month. Since
the opening of Banten Creative Disability, he and his
friends developed other businesses such as
handicrafts and culinary. They hope that these
businesses can improve their income during the
COVID-19 Pandemic. He plans to follow the training
for national certification in massage or reflexology
and continue his education for a higher degree.
Case Study 4: FJ is a 24-year-old man who is self-
employed at his own home. He was diagnosed with
total blindness at 11 years old when he got a high
fever. Up until 11 years old, he was educated at a
regular school. After that, he attended specialized
school for PwD, particularly people with visual
impairment. After graduating from high school, he
attended massage training for the blind from the
Ministry of Social Affairs for two years. He opened
his massage business after graduating from the
training. However, he claimed that opening a
massage business is not his career aspiration. He
joined the training from the Ministry of Social Affairs
because he did not have money for college. However,
after taking part in massage training, he began to
enjoy the activity. He still enjoys working in the
massage field, and even if he wants to change his
career to other fields, he claims that the government
and community have not been able to facilitate PwD
to work in other fields.
“Becoming a massage therapist is not my
dreamed job. I joined the vocational training right
after graduated from high school because I did
not have money for college. After I took part in
massage therapist activity, I began to enjoy it and
want to pursue career in this field.”
His family gave him full support for all his career
choices as long as he could be independent and help
his family financially. Nevertheless, the career
choices themselves are not much for PwD. As a PwD
who is self-employed, he needs assistance to promote
his business. He also thinks that the government
could provide diverse skills and education for PwD;
thus, they can work on a broader type of occupation.
During COVID-19 Pandemic, he experienced a
decline in his income by about 15-20% because
people were afraid to use his services. He learned to
use his money more efficiently to catch up. He also
got another job as a chess player and got extra income
during the COVID-19 Pandemic from the National
Paralympic Committee. He said that the reduction of
his customers is not significant because he lived in a
small city, but his friends who lived and opened a
massage business in a big city cannot meet their daily
needs.
Case Study 5: SR is a 31-year-old female who
established a platform to help PwD find a job. This
platform connects job seekers with disabilities and
the companies that hire employees with disabilities.
The platform provides information, times, and friends
for PwD and companies to discuss anything related to
work. It also provides training for PwD to increase
their complex skill regarding finding a job. In
addition, it monitors the employees during their trial
period. This platform usually holds a sharing session
between human resources of a company and PwD
about the positions open in their company and sharing
about how to be a more work-ready person and how
to adjust in a new company.
In her opinion, career choice for PwD is still
limited either by the company offering or by PwD’s
skill. Some companies do not limit the position
offered only for PwD, so PwD must compete with
non-PwD to meet challenging and higher
requirements for the position. Available jobs for PwD
cannot fulfil PwD’s interest, PwD wants wider job
opportunities, but most PwD’s skills are insufficient
to fulfil job requirements. Most PwD have only basic
skills and can only be offered basic level jobs. On the
other hand, PwD with relevant skills and portfolios
are still having trouble finding jobs. It could be due to
COVID-19 Pandemics, or there are still stigmas
against PwD.
AICOSH 2021 - The Annual International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (AICOSH) “Life After Pandemic: Perspectives,
Changes, and Challenges”
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Companies in Indonesia have to employ 2% of
their employees with PwD. However, they only
choose PwD with mild disabilities, so they do not
have to provide additional facilities. In addition, they
only recruit them for temporary employment for two
years (based on former workforce law). Mostly, they
do not want to recruit them for permanent positions
due to doubt that PwD can work for a long term.
There are many vacancies for temporary employment
in the basic level of jobs for PwD, but prospective
employees do not exist because they have already
worked there before. This makes PwD unable to
advance their career to the next level. Due to COVID-
19 Pandemics, most companies must decrease their
employees to reduce expenses. Employees with
disabilities became the first target to be unemployed
because they could not work multitasking.
5 DISCUSSION
After analyzing the case study data, the researcher
found several factors that influenced PwD's career
development:
Support System. All the participants in this study
have a positive support system from family, friends,
and the workplace. Family influence is a critical
factor in career-related decisions (Fouad et al., 2015).
Support from parents for career decision-making
made PwD more comfortable in carrying out their
current job. This situation happened because PwD
tends to think more about working conditions (work
environment, access for disabilities, and type of
work) before working for a particular company. In
addition, most participants are still responsible for
families; hence they need approval from the family
before deciding to take a job. In the workplace, social
support contributes to a worker's ability to manage
work demands and manage stress (Lysaght et al.,
2012). The participants obtained positive support
from their co-workers. They can empathize and
provide support for PwD in the work environment.
Due to the limitations of PwD, one of the co-workers
gave relief to the PwD, for example, not to work on
the 3rd floor and suggested to work on the 1st floor.
A supportive working environment (physical
environment) is also needed to improve PwD
engagement with the company. Lessons from the
prior study by Bonaccio et al. (2020) highlighted the
need for a safe environment and health insurance for
PwD, as well as non-disability people. Unfortunately,
not all companies provide these accessibilities. Based
on the participant's answer, the company did not
provide access for PwD, for instance, elevators and
toilets for PwD.
Training and Vocational Center. Vocational
training is one of the critical elements in the career
development of PwD. In line with previous research
(Bairamov et al., 2015; Frank, 2016; Lindstrom &
Benz, 2002), 2 participants in this study also enrol in
vocational rehabilitation before working on their
current job. Both participated in 2-year vocational
rehabilitation held by the Ministry of Social Welfare
in Indonesia. One of the participants enrolled in
vocational rehabilitation after graduating from high
school. At the same time, other participants enrolled
in vocational rehabilitation after doing a variety of
previous jobs. The former initially wanted to continue
his education to a higher level, but he joined
vocational training to be independent due to limited
costs and access. Meanwhile, the later joined
vocational training because he wanted to open his
own business despite the limitations.
The provision of vocational training for PwD
should be based on their abilities and their interests in
the job (International Labour Organization, 2016).
Therefore, the government should provide extensive
vocational training that can accommodate the job
interests of PwD. Furthermore, extensive vocational
training prepares PwD to work successfully either by
acquiring job retention or assisting unemployed
people in new work (Frank, 2016). Yet, Vocational
training in Indonesia primarily only teaches skills for
PwD to work and very rarely provides assistance to
survive in the workplace.
Career Choice. Career choice for PwD is not as
comprehensive as a career option for non-PwD
counterpart (Sefotho, 2014). The career options they
have are limited primarily due to the limited physical
abilities they have. For example, persons with
disabilities who have limited space for movement are
given jobs with minimum movement. People with
disabilities with limited sensory fields are given jobs
requiring them not to use their impaired senses. This
can help people with disabilities to develop their
abilities optimally beyond their limitations. However,
this attitude is one form of exclusion for PwD. Thus,
PwD should get the job based on their ability and
interest (International Labour Organization, 2016).
PwD should have given broader access for what job
they want to do.
Another factor in limited career choice for PwD is
disempowering family, school, and workplace
(Björnsdóttir & Sigurjónsdóttir, 2013). Parents
should become mentors and role models for their
The Challenges and Supports for Career Development of Persons with Disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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children's career development, and school is assumed
to be the place that serves the best interest of PwD
and encourages PwD to pursue different kinds of
careers. Finally, a workplace with all kinds of
regulations also limits career options for PwD.
Employers are concerned that PwD needs a longer
time to review and complete tasks within the
workplace, have inadequate qualities and
qualifications required for the work, or meet an
equivalent standard of performance as non-PwD
workers (Krisi et al., 2021). Furthermore, employers
are concerned that the PwD will make social tension
within the workplace. They think that PwD will find
it challenging to adapt to the work environment, cause
discomfort to co-workers, and trigger co-workers to
demand more compensation because of the unequal
distribution of labour between PwD and associates
(Kosny et al., 2013).
The types of jobs offered to PwD tend to be at the
basic level like sales, call centre, and quality control
officer. Even though PwD already has skills at the
intermediate level and completed higher education,
they are still offered jobs at the minor level. 3 out of
4 PwD subjects in this study have already graduated
with bachelor's degrees. Therefore, they can pursue
more advanced career choices such as supervisors
and managers. Nevertheless, the jobs available to
them in the labour market are only at the basic level,
such as call centers, sales, and quality control officers.
That means they enter the workplace at a lower level
and are not suitable for their educational background.
Opportunity for Career Advancement. PwD often
do not get the opportunity to advance their career to a
higher level (Wilson-Kovacs et al., 2008).
Employer’s lack of knowledge about disability
features a tremendous impact on PwD (Potgieter et
al., 2017). This study found that PwD are usually
recruited as contract workers and continue an
equivalent career path until the contract expires. In
Indonesia, based on the former labour law (2003),
employers can hire contract employees for two years
and extend the contract once for a total of 3 years
contract period. After the contract period, employers
should hire workers in a permanent position.
However, PwD was not appointed as a permanent
employee and left his job when the contract was
terminated. They then look for another job with the
same pattern. Meanwhile, PwD who work in the
creative sector are usually contracted per project.
After the contract terminates, they will look for
another similar job. In conclusion, there is no clear
career path and opportunity for career advancement
for PwD. Labour law in Indonesia has revised to a
more extended contract period to a 5-year contract
period (2020). This provision is detrimental to all
employees, including employees with disabilities.
They are threatened with a lifetime contract without a
promising career path.
Life Situation. Exposure to the Pandemic situation
resulted in some employees being laid off, including
PwD. The companies will choose multitasking
employees (because they are considered more
efficient for the company). PwD are considered not
multitasking, which means that they are the first
choice to be laid-off (for the company's budget
efficiency reason). Two dominant factors are related
to laid-off issues (particularly in the COVID-19
Pandemic context), namely direct and indirect
factors. Direct factors are issues that directly
influence work performance, such as assisting
technology and supporting facilities. On the other
hand, indirect factors include the aspects that
indirectly affect workers' social integration within the
organization (Krisi et al., 2021).
Another obstacle for PwD in the workplace is the
COVID-19 exposure itself. One of the participants
has been infected by COVID-19 because her
company uses regular shifts in Pandemic situations.
The European Center for Disease and Prevention
Control (ECDC, 2020) reported that occupational
workers are at higher risk because they work in indoor
settings and are close to others (co-workers, patients,
customers, etc.). Moreover, workers in many
essential sectors cannot work from home, which may
explain why certain occupations have been shown to
have a higher risk of COVID-19 infection and
mortality than others. Indonesia also became one of
the populations that are more likely to have exposure
by COVID-19. These findings are relevant to
Chakraborty. Reported that the incidence rate among
PwD is more significant, particularly for Asian
people. Therefore, this sociodemographic pattern is
more likely to find countries with higher COVID-19
incidence rates compared to other countries
(Chandrasekaran & Fernandes, 2021).
6 IMPLICATION FOR
PRACTICE
This study found that Indonesian stakeholders need to
collaborate to expand work opportunities for PwD.
Due to COVID-19 outbreaks, some adjustments need
to be made to make a better work environment
for
PwD. Support from the microenvironment (e.g.,
AICOSH 2021 - The Annual International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (AICOSH) “Life After Pandemic: Perspectives,
Changes, and Challenges”
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Table 2: Analysis of challenges and support of disability workers during the covid-19 pandemic.
Factors Challenges Support
Personal
Characteristics
- Type and severity of disability. It influences
the opportunities of PwD to take a job.
- Various educational levels. Not all PwD got
the same opportunities to achieve higher
education.
- Increasing the opportunities of
PwD to access higher education
Family Role - Disempowering family. Too high parental
expectations limit career choice for PwD.
- Supportive family. Motivate PwD
to achieve their aspire job.
Vocational
Training
- Access to training. Not all PwD have access
to vocational training to upgrade or learn new
skills.
- Provide various vocational
training that meets the interests
and abilities of PwD.
Workplace
Environment
- Sufficient health care and facilities. Some
companies did not provide sufficient health
and safe place for PwD in their company.
- Discrimination. Still, the company did not
provide the same opportunities to PwD to
advance their professional career.
- Provide a healthy and safe
physical workplace environment
- Guideline from stakeholders
related to disability workers
- Mapping the severity and make a
match a suitable
j
ob for PwD
Social Support
- Negative stigma related to PwD
- Social acceptance
- Inclusive society, supportive
friends, and co-workers.
families) to support from macro sectors (e.g.
companies, labour suppliers, and governments) is
necessary to fulfil PwD rights in the workplace.
Additionally, support can be made by providing
PwD- friendly physical accessibility (i.e., elevators,
toilets, eateries, etc.).
For the government, the synergy between
relevant ministries (both at the central and regional
levels) is needed to help providing a more inclusive
working environment. The Ministry of Manpower,
Ministry of Social Affairs, and Ministry of
Education and Culture need to build good
cooperation and collaboration in this regard. The
Ministry of Education and Culture can begin to
build an empathetic inclusive society character
towards PwD. Inclusive curriculums need to be
built and implemented in primary, secondary and
higher education units because it is necessary to
build a compassionate, inclusive society.
In addition, integration between the Ministry of
Education and Culture and the Ministry of
Manpower is needed; thus, PwD who graduated
from special and regular schools can be optimally
absorbed into the workplace. The Ministry of Social
Affairs plays a crucial role in providing mapping of
the latest PwD conditions; hence an accurate picture
of the condition and needs of PwD in the work
sector is obtained. Stakeholders should make an
integrated roadmap to get a more inclusive
workplace in the future. In the Pandemic Era, a
collaboration between public health providers and
companies is needed to mitigate the COVID-19
impacts in occupational sectors.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors have declared that there are no potential
conflicts of interest to this article's research,
authorship, and/or publication. The authors would
like to thank all the participants of this study for
their contribution to this study.
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